Thanks again all
Thanks - they did crop up when I was looking at stuff a while ago but I couldn't find a lot of info on them so was a bit skeptical. I agree with some of the other posts in that it appear to be courting the grey pound; however some of their gear does look good and potentially quite "covertly technical" / crossing over into the smart / casual market.
I'll certainly pay more attention to Rohan stuff in future, but hopefully I'm set with the outdoors gear I have currently (Scarpa boots, some aged but cockroach-tough Craghoppers trousers, the battered old Rab baselayer (that's been great for years but is now bobbled, covered in pulled-threads and sun-bleached after its intensive use on the bike for 3k miles of 'rona-sponsored cycling utopia last year), my ME fleeces and waterproof shell.
I feel like I've found my feet a bit at least with outdoor gear as I've gone of North Face (too yank and commercial), have gone off Rab a bit since I found out they're no longer independent / couldn't find much of their gear that looked good on me, and have always found Berghaus a bit "meh" (although have liked some of their fleeces in the past). I've also learned an amount about the technologies involved (difference between DWR and multi-layer waterproof fabrics for example) so feel like I can make a bit more of an informed choice now.
I've also found it really rewarding learning about other types of clothes - fabrics, fits, styles, brand histories etc. I've been getting a lot from the
Gentleman's Gazette on youtube - these guys dress up far more than I'd ever feel comfortable doing; however despite the eye-watering costs of some of the ger they like, they're not pretentious and a lot of their content (such as guides on fit, style, convention, buying etc) can be applied to a lot more frugal gear... and of course as they frequently point out, buying used vintage gear can often save you a lot of money as well as getting much, much more for your money
Thanks - as it happens there is no significant other (which, along with the perpetual march of time is no doubt one of the driving forces behind my new-found interest in my appearance) however I can completely appreciate where you're coming from.
I hear where you're coming from and tbh I just find it difficult where to draw the line as I don't want to over-dress and find it difficult to pull away from the old-favourites!
The last few days have been pretty rewarding on the wardrobe front - I've now sorted through, tried on and catalogued nearly all of my clothes; and as a result feel more comfortable both with what I have and what I want / need. I've also managed to push my mother into doing the same and yesterday saw a trip to the charity shop with half a car load of stuff to be disposed of; which felt like a big achievement and has freed up a fair amount of physical space - as well as decluttering my head somewhat too
I still have a load more stuff to sell (including some of my late father's clothes if I can bring myself to do so, as they're all too big for me) but this feels like a bit of a milestone and I hope to be able to stay on top of / get more pleasure from my wardrobe in future.
